Hinge holdopen



J y 1957 LA VERNE B. RAGSDALE 2,7 ,8

HINGE HOLDOPEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1953 m Rw w mg, L m M m f v w. H FM J11}? 1957 7 LA VERNE B. RAGSDALE HINGE HOLDOPEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Filed April 22. 1955 INVENTOR m ffqysa ATTORNEY$ vBY 2,799,889 Patented July 23, 1957 tine HINGE nornornN La Verne E. Ragsdaie, Dearhorn, Mich, assignor to General Motors (Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application April 22, 1953, Serial No. 350,363

Claims. or. 15-14%) This invention relates to a hinge holdopen, and more particularly to an improved holdopen device for automobile door hinges.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved hinge holdopen; another feature of the invention is that it provides a pair of holdopen cams pivotally supported at one end opposite each other on the hinge box walls, with a portion of each cam lying in the path of swinging movement of the hinge strap; a further feature of the invention is that the cams are interconnected at their free end by a tension spring, said cams being forced apart against the force of the spring upon swinging movement of the hinge strap; still another feature of the invention is that it provides a hinge holdopen which may be easily manufactured and assembled, the parts being separate metal stampings with no permanent connections between them; and yet another feature of the invention is that the holdopen cams, which are of rigid material, are provided with an offset portion in the path of swinging movement of the hinge strap providing an inclined cam surface for engagement by said strap to obtain a holdopen action.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a horizontal sectional View through a portion of an automobile door and body hinge pillar showing one form of hinge holdopen apparatus, the arrangement of the part when the door is closed being shown in solid lines and the arrangement of the parts when the door is open being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 22 of I;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fi l, the hinge strap being shown in closed position in solid lines and in open position in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a detail section showing a portion of the hinge box and one of the holdopen cams;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the door and body hinge pillar showing a modified form of holdopen device, the arrangement of the parts when the door is closed being shown in solid lines and the arrangement or" the parts when the door is open being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of Fig. 5, the arrangement of the parts when the door is closed being shown in solid lines and the arrangement of the parts when the door is open being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 7 is a section similar to Fig. 6, but showing the arrangement of the parts when the door is in a different position; and

Fig. 8 is a section along the line S8 of Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 10 is an outer side panel of an automobile body, and 11 is a body hinge pillar mounted in the walls of said body, said pillar having a hinge face 12 which is spaced from the complementary hinge face 13 of an automobile door 1%. The door preferably is secured to the body by two hinges which are spaced vertically. Gnly one of these hinges is illustrated in the drawings.

A hinge box is mounted within the body hinge pillar 11 by means of screws 16. The box is generally U-shaped, having a base wall 18 and opposite side walls 19 and 20, each having a flange 19a and 20a, respectively, by means of which the hinge box is secured to the hinge face 12 of the pillar 11.

A hinge pin 21 is mounted between the walls 19 and 20 and forms a pivotal support for a gooseneck hinge strap 22 which is mounted for swinging movement between the walls 19 and 26, and which has a free end portion 23 extending through an open 24 in the hinge face 12 of the body hinge pillar. The free end portion 23 is secured to the hinge face 13 of the door 14 by means of screws 25 and a reinforcing plate 26 on the inner surface of the hinge face of the door. The door may be swung between open and closed positions, as shown in Fig. 1.

In order to provide a holdopen action in the operation of the door, holdopen cams 28 and 29 are pivotally supported at one end opposite each other on the respective walls 19 and 29. These cams are rigid material, and may be steel stampings and the resiliency necessary for proper holdopen action is attained through a tension spring 30 which interconnects the cams. The wall 19 is formed with a slot 31, and one end of cam 28 is provided with a lug 32 which is received in the slot to provide a pivotal mounting for the cam. Similarly, the hinge box wall 20 is formed with a slot 33 which receives a lug 34 at one end of the holdopen cam 28 To hold the cams in position stop means are provided in the form of a guide member 35 which extends between the walls 19 and 2 adjacent the free end of the cams. The member 35 is formed as a strap having a slot 36 through which the free end of the cam 28 extends, and a slot 37 through which the free end of the cam 29 extends. Shoulder 36a at the base of slot 36 limits inward movement of cam 28 and shoulder 37a at the base of slot 37 similarly limits inward movement of cam 29, while the opposite side walls of the slots hold the cams in proper alignment.

Each cam has a bowed portion 28a and ha respectively between its ends lying in the path of swinging movement of strap 22 and each cam is formed with an ofiset portion providing inclined cam surfaces 23b and 2%, respectively, in the path of swinging movement of the strap 22. When the door is closed, the strap 22 is in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. l, where the strap is not in engagement with the holdopen cams. When the door is opened, the strap moves to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. l and the strap engages and rides over the bowed portions 28:: and 29a of the respective cams forcing the cams apart against the force exerted by tension spring 30. When the door has nearly reached its full open position, the strap 22 n'des over the offset portions 28b and 29b of the cams and is resiliently held in open position by means of the inclined cam surface formed by said ofiset portion, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3. With the door in open position, the strap 22 may abut the guide member 35, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3, to provide a door check. The force of the spring 30 acting through the inclined cam surfaces 28b and 2% will hold the door in open position against the force of gravity and such other forces as the wind blowing against the door; but when the door is pushed or pulled closed manually the strap 22 rides up over the ofiset portions of the holdopen cams forcing the cams apart against the action of the spring 30.

The door holdopen device above described is advantageous for mass production and assembly methods because it does not require any permanent connections and each part is a separate, easily formed part, the cams 28 and 29 preferably being rigid steel stampings. Since there are no screws, rivets or other permanent connections between the h'oldopen cams and associated parts of the hinge, assembly of the appar-atus is facilitated.

Figs. 5 to 8 show modified form of holdopen device in which the holdopen cams extend through slotsin the hinge box walls to the exterior of'the' hinge :box, and wherein ditferent stop means are'provided. In this modified form of the invention, the hinge structure per se'is similar to'that shown in Fig. 1, and therefore, will not again bedescribed in detail. Y

In the modified form of the invention, holdopenc-ams 40 and 42 are pivotally'mounted-on-the-respective walls 1-9 and -20 of the hinge'box bymeans of lug and slot connections, in the same manner asdescribed with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. In the'modified form of the invention,'however, the guide-member 35 is omitted and'the holdopen cam 40 extends'through a slot 43 in the-wall'19 to the exterior of the hinge'boxywhile the holdopen cam '42 extends Qrougha slot 44 to the exterior of the'hinge box. As in thefirst-form ofthe invention, the cams'are interconnected at their free end by means of spring 30.

Instead of a separate stop and guide member 35, the stop means in the modified form of the invention comprise abutting surface portions on the cams and the exterior wall surface of the hinge box, and the cams are guided by the slots 43 and 44. The abutting surface-portions are shown best in Fig. 7, wherein the inner surface portion 46a of'the holdopen cam 40 is adapted to abut'against the exterior wall surface portion 19b to stop inward move ment of the cam 40, and wherein the interior surface portion 42a of the cam 42 is adapted to abut against-exterior wall 20b to']imit inward movement of the-cam 42.

Fig. 6 shows in solid-lines the position of the parts when 'the door is closed, the hinge'strap 22 being out of engagement with the holdopen cams. The position when the door is open is shown in broken lines'in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the hinge strap 22 beingresiliently held indoor open position by means of the inclined surface provided by the ofiset portion of the cam-members. ,Fig. 7 shows,tintsolid 7 box having opposite wallseachformed'with a"slot;.rn'e'ans V for mounting said box'on the body; a goose n'eck hinge strap pivotally mounted on said *box'for swinging movement between said walls; means 'formounting 'saidstrap on the door; a pair of rigid 'holdopen'carns pivotally supported at one end opposite each other on saidfwallsgeach cam having a'lug at said'end received insaid slot in .one

an ofiset portion in-the path of swinging movement of said strap providing an inclined cam'surface for engagement by said strap; a spring under tension interconnecting said cams adjacent the other end thereof; and stop means for limiting movement of said cams, said strap engaging said cams and forcing them apart against the force of said spring upon swinging movement of the strap, each cam being pivotally supported adjacent the inner surface of oneof said walls by means of said tongue and slot connection between the pivotally supported end of each cam and one of said walls.

3. A hinge hold-open of the character described, including: a hingebox having opposite walls eachformed with a slot; 2. gooseneck hinge strap pivotally mounted on said box for swinging movement between said walls; a pair of rigid hold-open cams loosely pivotally supported at one end opposite each other on said walls each cam having a tongue projecting into one of said slots to-provide a pivotal mounting for the cam, each cam having a bowed portion between its ends lying in the path of swinging movement of said strap, and each cam being-formed with an oifset portion in the path ofswinging movement of said strap providing an inclined cam surface for engagement by' said strap; a spring under tension interconnectingsaidcams'adjacent the other end thereof; and stop means for limiting movement of said cams comprising a guide member extending between said walls adjacent said other end of the cams, said guide wall, each cam having a bowed portion between'its ends lying in the path of swingingmovement of'said strap, and

each'cam being formed'with an'oifset-portion in the'path of swinging movement of said strap providing an inclined cam surface for engagement by staid strap; a'spring under tension interconnecting said cams at the other end thereof;'and'a guide member extending between said walls adjacent said other end of the cams, said member having guide slots adjacent each wall, the end of each cam adjacent said spring 'exte'nding'through'one of said slots.

'2. A hinge holdopen of thecharacter described, including: a hinge box having opposite walls each formed with a slot; a gooserieckhingestrap pivotally mounted on said box for swinging movement between said walls; 'apai'r of rigid holdopen cams l'o'o'selyj pivotallysupported atone end opposite eachother' onsaid walls each lc'amhaving a tongue projecting into one of said slots to provide a pivotal mounting'for 'thecam, each "cam having 'a bowed vportion between its 'endsd'ying in :the'path of swinging member having guide slots adjacent each wall' of the hinge box, the adjacent end of each cam extending through one ofsaid slots, said hinge strap engaging said-cams and forcing-them apart against the force of said spring upon swinging movement of the strap.

1 4; Ahinge hold-open of the character" described, ineluding: a 'hingebox having opposite walls each formed with a'slot; a gooseneck-hinge" strap pivotally mounted on said bo'x for swinging movement between said walls;

7 a pair of rigid h'old open cams loosely pivotally supported at one end opposite each other on said walls each camhaving'a tongue projecting into one of said slots toprovide a'pivotal mounting for the cam,each cam having a bowed portion between its ends lying in the path of swinging movement of said strap, andeachcam being'for'med with an-ofisett portion in thepath of swinging movement of "said strap providing aninclined cam surface for engagement bysaid strap; a spring-under-tension interconnecting said cams adjacent the otherend thereof; and stop means for limiting movement of said cams, said strap engaging said cams and forcing'them apart against the force of said spring upon'swinging movement of the strap, each cam being pivotally supported at one end adjacent the inner surface of one of said walls and a portion intermediate the ends of each cam passing through a slot in the adjacenthinge box wall to the exterior thereof, said stop means comprising abutting surface portions on said cams and the-exterior hinge box wall surface. d

5. A hinge hold-open of the characterd'escribed, including: a hinge box having opposite walls each formed with a'slot; a gooseneck hinge strap pivotally mounted on said box for swinging movement between said walls; a pair of rigid hold-open cams loosely pivotally supported at one end'opposite each other on said walls each cam having-a tongue projecting into one of said slots to provide a pivotal mounting for the cam, each cam having a bowed portion between its ends lying in the path of swinging movement of said'strap, and each cam being formed with anoffset portion in the path of swinging movement of said strap, and each cam being formed with an'o'ffset portionin the path of swinging movement of said strap providing an inclined cam surface for engagement by saidstrap; a spring under tension interconnecting said for limiting movement of said cams, said strap engaging said cams and forcing them apart against the force of said spring upon swinging movement of the strap, each cam being pivotally supported at one end adjacent the inner surface of one of said hinge box Walls and a portion intermediate the ends of each cam passing through a slot in the adjacent hinge box Wall to the exterior thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,131,339 Valletta Sept. 27, 1938 6 Dean Feb. 22, 1944 Carroll June 21, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS France May 24, 1921 

